


Parallel Lives

by CarlyCo



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Family, Future Fic, Multiverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 17:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4927828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarlyCo/pseuds/CarlyCo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four years have passed since the Flash was last seen in Central City. However, he isn't alone when he comes speeding back into the lives of his family and friends. Will they be able to accept this new Barry and his companion?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Homecoming

The last time he stood in this parking lot and stared up into the sky for hours on end he promised himself that he would never do it again. However, here he was once more staring at the sky sorrowfully and praying for some sort of miracle. After four years, it seemed as if everyone in Central City had forgotten what the Flash did for the world on that fateful day in May 4 years ago. However, Lieutenant Joe West didn’t have the luxury of forgetting the Flash’s sacrifice. Central City lost a superhero but he lost his only son.

Sometimes Joe felt as if Barry had only been gone for a few weeks. There were cruel moments when the decorated lieutenant could fool himself into believing his foster son might breeze through the front door of his painfully empty home like a force of nature. However, other times, like today, Joe felt all 1460 days of his son’s absence as if they were individual slashes from a dull knife. The wounds left behind by Barry’s death were ones that would never heal. A part of Joe died the day the Flash disappeared and he knew in his heart that he could never be complete again.

He tried to resist the temptation to become embittered. However, Joe could not understand how the rest of the world carried on with their lives as if half of his heart had not been ripped from his chest. The first two years after Barry saved Central City the public held a memorial for the Flash. Organizers held the memorial in the parking lot of the defunct S.T.A.R. Labs because it was the last place where anyone saw the Flash alive. Hundreds of grateful citizens brought flowers and cards to leave at the bronze statue dedicated to their fallen hero. Many people lit candles as they shared stories of how the Flash had saved them or someone they knew. Oliver Queen and the rest of Team Arrow even made the trek from Starling City to pay their respects. They knew better than most just how much the Flash sacrificed to save not just his city—but also the world.

However, as with most things in their fast-paced world people began to forget. There were other superheroes to adore and there were more villains to hate—or fear. When the third anniversary arrived the number of attendees dropped to just a few dozen people. Joe thought that would be the worst it would get. However, the festivities around the fourth anniversary proved to be even more heartbreaking. The attendance at yesterday’s memorial had been pathetic. The majority of the ‘mourners’ were conspiracy theorists and nut jobs. The Flash saved all of their lives and it was as if he never existed at all to the public at large. Oliver Queen and his team attended the memorial along with Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Ronnie Raymond, Martin Stein, and Iris. They all retreated to Lieutenant West’s house after the disappointing event. They tried to convince Joe to abandon the idea of having a memorial next year because it would only cause him more pain. They wanted him to try accepting Barry’s death so that he could start to move on with his life. Frankly, it was the most absurd thing he had heard in the entirety of his life.

Perhaps their insistence on him letting go was the reason he found himself in this familiar spot staring up at the sky once more. Lieutenant West stood in the parking lot of the newly renovated Mercury Labs annex. Dr. Tina McGee lobbied the city successfully to acquire the abandoned property after Eobard Thawne (Harrison Wells) died unexpectedly. The mayor and the city council were only too glad to rid Central City of the blight that was S.T.A.R. Labs. They were all eager for their beloved city to start a new chapter. Dr. McGee demolished the dilapidated particle accelerator and converted the property into a state of the art research facility. The grand opening was only a few days away.

Joe looked at his watch and frowned. Sometimes he lost track of time when he stared up at the sky. In the past, he had sat there for hours before he finally snapped out of whatever trance consumed him. He needed to get home soon. Iris insisted on a weekly meal at his house with her husband, Victor Stone. It was her desperate attempt to engage with her father. She more than anyone else saw the toll Barry’s death had on him. Joe got ready to walk back to his car but froze in place when the air pressure around him seemed to change dramatically. He instinctively looked toward the sky and his jaw dropped.

The change in air pressure was caused by a sudden updraft toward a mass of clouds forming over Central City. The dark clouds looked ominous as they grew in number seemingly out of nowhere.  The weather forecast called for clear skies that afternoon but this felt different. He felt his heart begin to beat faster as the swirling winds picked up quickly and began to take on the appearance of an inverted cyclone. A crack of lightning lit up the sky and it looked as if a storm was brewing but Joe knew better. A wormhole was opening just above the newly minted Mercury Labs annex.

He had spent hours in the last few years reading every academic paper on wormholes and the singularity that he could get his hands on. He even joined online communities that frequently discussed the event that happened over Central City. The appearance of the singularity interested a lot of smart people.  Joe often asked Cisco, Caitlin, and Dr. Stein to explain the finer points that he couldn’t quite grasp as a layman. Deep inside there was a part of him that hoped one day Barry might return the same way he left. Until this moment, it had only been a dream on his part.

Caitlin’s lab coat flapped in the violent winds as she ran out of the research facility. Dr. McGee named the young woman director of the Mercury Labs annex just a few months ago. Dr. Snow worked feverishly to ensure the facility would be ready for the public scrutiny it was sure to receive upon opening. She desperately wanted to erase Central City’s bad memories of the former S.T.A.R. Labs. However, now she looked up at the sky in shock and felt a familiar sense of foreboding. “Oh no. Not again. Lieutenant West, we need to get out of here! Now!”

He swallowed thickly and shook his head. Joe said, “I can’t do that, Caitlin. Barry might be in there and I want to be waiting right here if he is. Besides, Dr. Stein said a wormhole of this size wouldn’t just stop with Central City. Whatever that is will keep growing until it swallows the entire universe—there is nowhere to run.”

Caitlin knew that he was right but she was concerned about how at peace he seemed about the whole situation. She was more than a little relieved when Ronnie landed beside her. She grasped his hand once the flames died down. “It’s already massive there is nothing we can do this time around.”

Ronnie nodded solemnly and pulled her into his arms. “I know. I was in the air when it first started to open. I could feel it pulling me toward this spot. What do you think this is? The particle accelerator is gone. What could have caused a wormhole of this size to open now?”

She sighed softly and replied, “Dr. Stein always theorized that a wormhole from another time in the future or the past could reopen in this spot. The fabric of time and space is weaker here than in any other place because of what Eobard Thawne did.”

Ronnie heard the screams of panicking citizens as they ran for shelter. He asked, “Where is Cisco?”

“He’s inside trying to get in touch with Dr. Stein but I doubt he will have any insight into how to fix this. Last time we needed Barry’s Speed Force to disrupt the singularity. I don’t think we have any speedsters handy—not that I would want to sacrifice another friend anyway.”

Joe didn’t even budge when he heard the air raid siren in the distance. He wasn’t going to move from that spot if there was even the slightest chance Barry might come out of that wormhole. Joe understood that the singularity opening could mean the end of all things but after more than four years of mourning his son…he couldn’t find the energy to care.

For five minutes, the winds grew increasingly violent and large pieces of debris started to sail through the air. Joe shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up into the cyclone. He hoped more than anything to see a flash of red amongst the swirling gray masses.

Cisco ran out of the building with a drawn expression on his face. He shook his head and said, “Dr. Stein confirmed what we already knew…it’s growing in size too fast to be stopped.”

Caitlin sighed deeply and clung even closer to Ronnie. She thought about all of the years they wouldn’t get to live. They both had so many plans for their future. Ronnie and Caitlin had recently closed on their first home.

Just as Joe was about to give up hope an egg shaped vehicle made of glass and metal flew out of the wormhole at breakneck speed. He recognized the design immediately as being similar to the time sphere Eobard Thawne tried to use to travel back to his own time. He watched as the sphere descended toward the ground.

Part of Joe knew better than to get his hopes up. Everyone with any understanding of wormholes had explained that it was unlikely that Barry survived the collapse. Moreover, if he had survived there was no telling where he might have ended up.

As the time sphere settled onto the ground, the wormhole above the city began to close in on itself. Now that Joe truly paid attention, it was a lot less volatile than the one that claimed Barry four years ago. None of the buildings close to the inverted cyclone had been sheared off or damaged like before. The majority of the debris consisted of lightweight items not bolted down.

Cisco stared at the sky. “It’s closing! The wormhole is closing!”

Joe’s gaze shifted to the time sphere once more as the door slid open.

Barry stepped out of the time sphere in a different Flash suit than the one he was wearing when he disappeared. However, he was also wearing something similar to the tachyon prototype that Firestorm used. He was carrying what looked to be a large duffel bag bearing his insignia. He held out his hand and helped a woman climb out of the sphere. She was a little shorter than Barry was and had long crystal blue hair with matching eyes. However, it was the blue and black form-fitting suit she was wearing that really caught Joe’s attention. It looked to be made of the same material as Barry’s suit.

He slowly started to approach the couple. He swallowed thickly and asked, “Barr? Is that you, son?”

Barry pulled off his face covering and flashed a crooked smile at Joe. He nodded and said, “Yeah, it’s me, Dad. I am back. I’m really back.”

Joe quickly crossed the last few feet so that he was standing in front of Barry. The young man looked a little older but overall he was still the same old Barry Allen. Joe enveloped him in a hug and held on for dear life. For a few moments, he couldn’t even form words. His prayers had been answered and his son returned to him. “I thought I’d lost you forever, Barry. I was starting to think I would never see you again.”

Caitlin, Ronnie, and Cisco stood a ways back and watched the scene in awe. They all had a hard time believing that Barry was really in front of them. When the wormhole closed with Barry on the other side they had all accepted they would never see him again. They all knew the chances of him surviving the ordeal weren’t very good.

Joe took a step back and hastily wiped away the tears that had fallen. He stared at Barry’s face for a few seconds just to confirm that it was really him. Finally, he took a moment to observe Barry’s traveling companion. He said, “Uh, Barr…”

Before Barry could answer the silent question Caitlin, Cisco, and Ronnie rushed over. He waved sheepishly. “Hi, guys. Long time, no see.”

Cisco shook Barry’s hand and grinned. He asked, “Where have you been, man?”

Barry looked at the woman beside him and then shook his head. “I know that everyone has a lot of questions but we’ve had a very long couple of days leading up to this moment. I would really like to be able to get home and change clothes before we tackle all of this. Joe, I hope it’s okay if we stay with you for the night.”

Lieutenant West said, “Of course it is okay, Barr. It is more than okay. Any friends of yours are welcome. Come on. Iris and Vic are at the house cooking dinner right now. She is going to be so excited to see you. We’ve both missed you so much, Barry.”

Barry smiled at Joe and said, “Thank you. He looked at his friends and said, “The rest of you can meet us over there. Give me about an hour to get everyone settled before you arrive. Please…”

Cisco nodded and said, “Okay. We can definitely do that. We’re just glad that you are back, Barry.”

Caitlin nodded in agreement. “We’re all really happy to see you, Barry.”

Barry nodded toward the time sphere and asked, “Uh, could you maybe store the time sphere here until I figure out what to do with it? I can’t exactly just leave it out in the open and it would be a bit conspicuous strapped to the top of Joe’s car.”

Caitlin said, “We can do that. We will move it inside now before it draws any attention. Right now, everyone is still scrambling to figure out the freak weather occurrence. Frankly, Mercury Labs could do without the negative press this will generate if they believe we have something to do with it. The specter of S.T.A.R. Labs looms large in Central City.”

Barry smiled. “Thank you, Caitlin. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

His masked-female companion stared at Caitlin with an odd intensity but she remained silent the entire time.

Joe smiled at the young woman and said, “My car is just over here. It managed to go relatively unscathed despite the high winds.”

Barry clapped Cisco on the back and nodded at Ronnie as he followed Joe over to the car. While the lieutenant helped Barry’s female companion get settled in the car he took a moment to take in his surroundings. A lot had changed in Central City in four years. At least, he hoped that it had only been four years. His concept of time was a bit wonky but Barry was confident that he would sort it all out after talking to Joe and his friends.

The important thing was that he was home again.


	2. FlashFrost

Iris sat in the living room of Joe’s house wringing her hands nervously. The meal cooking in the oven was all but forgotten the moment she learned of Barry’s return. Iris wanted to see Barry as soon as Joe explained what happened at Mercury Labs that evening. However, he put her off the idea by telling her that Barry needed at least an hour before he would be ready to speak with anyone. After over four years, it wouldn’t kill her to wait another hour. So much had changed while Barry was gone and yet some many things were painfully the same.

However, it had now been 90 minutes since her father brought him home and Barry had yet to make an appearance. Caitlin, Cisco, Ronnie, and even Dr. Stein were seated in the living room while they waited for Barry to come downstairs. They all had a million questions but more than that, they were all glad that he was alive and well.

Dr. Stein was the only one who quietly voiced his concern over whether the young man upstairs was really their Barry Allen. However, no one was willing to think about that possibility at length. It had to be their Barry…it just had to be him.

Victor reached over and clasped Iris’s hands to keep her from reddening the skin any further. He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and murmured. “It is going to be okay.”

Everyone in Lieutenant West’s living room fell silent when Barry and his female companion walked into the room holding hands. He stood just a few paces in front of the woman as if to shield her from something unsavory. The steely gaze he leveled on the people he considered to be his friends and family felt protective and yet pleading in some strange way. Barry knew this moment was coming for him since they decided to come back to his universe. He hoped the people he loved would understand but it would have been foolish not to prepare himself for the alternative.

During the nearly 90 minutes, the couple spent upstairs in Barry’s old room they changed out of their disguises and into casual clothes. He needed everyone to see his love the way he saw her. Barry opted for a simple pair of dark denim jeans and a black long sleeve button up shirt. The young woman wore a simple black wrap dress that fell at her knees. However, it was the woman’s mid-back length curly crystal blue hair and matching eyes that caught everyone’s attention. Her appearance was so distracting that for a moment the assembled group almost did not notice the most important feature—her face. Her hair and eyes might have been an unnatural shade of blue but she was unmistakably Dr. Caitlin Snow.

Barry led his female companion over to the only available seat in the room. He let her sit down and then he sat down on the arm of the chair to stay close to her. Barry rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he looked at everyone’s stunned faces. He felt nervous and happy in equal measure. It was so good to be home again. For a time Barry didn’t know if this would ever be possible. Barry being lost in a different universe felt like death of a sort. He grieved for the people he might not ever see again.

Caitlin Snow swallowed thickly and slowly stood up from the couch as the initial shock subsided. She could not stop staring at the woman wearing her face. Oddly enough, this wasn’t even the strangest thing she had encountered in the last five years. “What is going on, Barry? Who is she? Why does she look like me? Where have you been this whole time?”

Cisco nodded in agreement with their Caitlin. He would have asked some of those questions if his mouth was working properly. He found himself looking between Barry and the other Caitlin. Their obvious closeness gave away the nature of their relationship. However, the matching wedding bands on their left hands probably were the most blatant sign.

Ronnie took Caitlin’s hand and gently pulled her back into the spot beside him. He was just as stunned to see his wife’s face on another person. However, he could see how on edge Barry and the other Caitlin looked. They seemed nervous and interrogating them wouldn’t make the situation any easier. Barry had to know that explanations would be required. Ronnie trusted him give them the answers they were seeking.

Joe cleared his throat to break some of the tension in the room. “Barry, maybe you could explain some of what is going on. We’re all anxious to know where you have been but I think we can all agree that we’re damn glad you are back, son.”

Truth be told the lieutenant wouldn’t have cared if his son brought home a purple people eater. Barry was back home where he belonged and that was the only thing that mattered to him. However, he could understand Caitlin’s unease with the situation…someone else was wearing her face.

Barry cleared his throat and said, “It might be better if I start this story from the beginning. I am going to tell you a lot of things that are going to sound unbelievable but they are completely true. I just ask that everyone hear me out before you start launching questions my way. I promise to answer all of them to the best of my ability.”

Joe said, “We will listen to you, Barr.”

“When the wormhole closed, I was on the wrong side and there was no way to get back here. I felt as if I was in a sea of nothingness. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t hear or see anything. For a moment, I thought I had died. Out of nowhere, I felt a surge of power pass through me. I could feel something pulling me in another direction. I decided to follow it because I didn’t have anything to lose. The closer I got to the source of the pull the faster I moved. Eventually, I hurtled out of another wormhole and fell out of the sky. I don’t really remember my fall but I crashed into the ground. The impact nearly killed me. The height of the fall combined with my weakened state because everything I did that day rendered my healing factor almost nonexistent. I would have died if Lin hadn’t found me.” Barry looked lovingly at his Caitlin.

Everyone looked horrified by the idea that Barry had nearly died in such a gruesome manner. When he disappeared, none of them wanted to consider what happened to him on the other side of the wormhole. They all had hoped that his end had been swift and painless.

The young woman beside Barry clutched his hand as she remembered the first time she saw him in the crater. She would never be able to forget that image. Sometimes she still had nightmares of everything turning out differently. “I was working on a wormhole generator on my family’s farm. A barn large located on the property had been converted into a research lab for me. When Barry came out of the wormhole, there was a sonic boom. I walked outside to see him falling towards the ground. I just had to stand there and watch because there was nothing I could do to stop his fall. He created a 9ft deep crater when he landed. I jumped down without even thinking. He looked so pale and his limbs were bending in directions they weren’t meant to bend. He was barely holding on when I saw him but he looked up at me and called me Caitlin. He lost consciousness right after that. My father-in-law heard the impact and rushed outside to see what happened. He helped me get Barry out of the crater and inside of the house. We did our best to tend to his injuries and stabilize him. Afterward there was nothing to do but let him heal. I went to check on my wormhole generator and found that it imploded after Barry’s arrival. I think the wormhole I created pulled him to my world.”

Barry’s jaw tightened when he saw the tears forming in his Lin’s eyes. He pressed a kiss to her temple and buried his face in her hair for a moment. They rarely spoke of that fateful day for good reason. He couldn’t stand to see the way it hurt her. Barry just had to remind himself that this was for the greater good. His friends and family needed to understand the bond he shared with her. He needed them to understand why he could have never left her behind.

Joe swallowed thickly. He could feel his own eyes watering at the thought of his son lying in a broken heap in a strange world. He felt such gratitude that this young woman saw Barry and saved him. Her act of kindness for a complete stranger was the only reason his son was sitting in front of him today. He looked at Iris when he felt her squeeze his hand. She looked just as sick as he felt right now.

Barry took a deep breath and continued his tale, “I was in a medically induced coma for three months after my fall. The shock from the trauma would have killed me otherwise. My body slowly healed and knitted me back together. When I finally woke up, I had no idea where I was. I was in a strange bedroom with medical equipment monitoring my vital signs. Then the door opened and for a split second, I thought I was home. I thought by some miracle that the wormhole had deposited me back here but…it hadn’t. I ended up in a parallel universe. Joe walked into the room...but it wasn’t the Joe that raised me. He looked at me with the same fondness but he knew I wasn’t his Barry just as I knew he wasn’t my Joe.”

The room was eerily silent as everyone tried to process all of this information. It would have been unbelievable just five years ago. However, anything seemed possible after the explosion of the particle accelerator.

Dr. Stein said, “This is brilliant, Mr. Allen. This is proof that parallel universes do exist. There have been many theories over the years but no one has ever been able to prove the existence. Until now…”

Cisco breathed out slowly. “Wow…”

Caitlin asked, “Why did you bring her here, Barry? She mentioned having a father-in-law. She obviously had a husband and a life there in her universe. I don’t mean to be rude but you have to understand how uncomfortable this all makes me. She has my face and my name but she’s not me.”

He cleared his throat. Barry had hoped to finish his story before any questions were asked but he understood Caitlin’s wariness. He was certain that he would feel the same way if the roles were reversed. “Once I healed completely my mission was to get back home. I wanted everyone to know that I survived but the wormhole generator imploded when I fell through the portal it created. Lin promised that she would rebuild it but she warned that my body might not be able to survive another trip through a wormhole. There was also no way of knowing if I would be able to find my universe again. If there were two parallel universes then it stood to reason that there could be others. I remember Eobard Thawne’s time sphere and cobbled together as many of the dimensions and specifications as I could remember. It took some trial and error but we were able to recreate a viable prototype. All the while, we continued working on Lin’s wormhole generator. Caitlin and I lived and worked together every day for years. Neither of us meant for it to happen. We actually tried to stop it from happening but we fell in love. Lin and I got married a year ago. We came back here for a number of reasons. First, I wanted to come back to let all of you know that I am alive. Second, we were in danger. Someone framed Caitlin for the murder of Joe in that universe. We believe it was their Eobard Thawne. He was responsible for killing the Barry in their universe. Their Barry and Lin were married.”

Cisco bristled at the mention of their former foe’s name. He still had so many conflicting feelings about the man. Thawne manipulated all of them. He caused so much pain and destruction. However, part of Cisco truly believed that the man masquerading as Harrison Wells loved him as a son.

Caitlin shook her head as she tried to understand all of this. “You married Barry…I mean the Barry from your universe. How did that even happen? Does Ronnie not exist in your world?”

Ronnie wanted to know that answer as well. He couldn’t imagine marrying anyone other than his Caitlin.

She smiled softly and said, “He does but we were never more than friends. He was in love with his college sweetheart, Iris West. Barry, Iris, Ronnie, and I all went to the same high school and college. We were the best of friends even once Iris and Ronnie started dating. Barry and I were best friends but we never seemed to be in love with each other at the same time. It felt as if we kept missing each other. I was starting to think it wasn’t meant to be until the night the particle accelerator exploded. Barry and I both worked at S.T.A.R. Labs at the time. The particle accelerator started to overheat. The temperatures rose so high we worried that the explosion would wipe out a large portion of Central City along with us. I ran to the mechanical hub to fix the coolant system. I had to activate the tanks manually because the system was essentially fried. I was still in the room when the particle accelerator exploded. The blast merged the coolant with my body and I turned into…this. The Barry from my universe gained his powers that night as well. I was in a coma for four months. Apparently, my Barry rarely left my bedside throughout the ordeal. When I came out of my coma we started dating and the rest was history until Thawne took him from me.”

Barry said, “I know this won’t be easy on anyone. It will especially be difficult for you and Ronnie, Caitlin. We understood that when we decided to come here. However, we also agreed that this is your universe. We have no right to usurp your life or make you feel uncomfortable. I only ask that you give it some time—perhaps a few months. If at the end of the trial period you still feel uncomfortable then we’ll leave.”

Joe said, ‘You can’t be serious, Barry. We just got you back. You can’t seriously be thinking about leaving again.”

“It’s not as if we’d leave this universe. We can’t. We would just move to another city. I could always come back to visit on my own and with my speed it wouldn’t take very long. You could always come out to visit both of us every once in awhile.”

Iris shook her head. “Barry, this is your home.”

He said, “My home is with Lin and if she isn’t welcome here then we will go somewhere else. I was thinking Starling City. It is close enough and I have friends there. At least, I hope I still have friends there. Are Felicity and Oliver still there?”

Joe nodded. “They actually came to your memorial not long ago.”

Iris said, “Barry…”

Barry said, “I am not saying that I will move right away but I won’t make life uncomfortable for Caitlin. I won’t disrupt her life that way. Lin and I can start over somewhere else. We are starting over whether we do it here or somewhere else. We left our lives behind in her world.”

Joe breathed out shakily and smiled, “I can’t believe that you’re married now. I’m happy for you, Barr. I am glad that you weren’t completely alone in a strange place. Caitlin…”

Barry said, “She goes by Lin…”

“Lin, I am incredibly grateful and I will forever be indebted to you for saving Barry’s life. The two of you are welcome to stay here for as long as you would like.”

She smiled at him sadly. She found it difficult to look at Joe without thinking of her father-in-law. “There is no debt as far as I am concerned. Saving Barry that day changed my life for the better. He changed everything for me.”

Iris asked, “What does that mean?”

“I was lost before I found him. When I lost my Barry…I lost my mind. I let my work and my powers consume me. I allowed my grief to twist me into something dangerous and uncontrolled. My father-in-law was the only thing that kept me tethered to reality but I drifted further away every day. Then one day Barry dropped out of the sky and changed my whole world. First, I was able to focus on nursing him back to health. It was a long journey and so often I thought we might lose him. Then I focused on helping him get back here. However, the most important thing is that Barry realized that the cold was helping to drive me mad. He helped me develop a solution for that. He put off work on the wormhole generator and the time sphere to help me save my sanity. How could I not fall in love with a man like that?”

Cisco asked, “What was the solution?”

Barry rubbed at the back of his neck and said, “I helped Lin recreate the tachyon prototype. Sometimes we merge. The energy my speed force creates keeps the cold at bay. It helps Lin think clearly.”

Lin looked at Barry lovingly. “When we merge…we are one person with one heartbeat. I have never felt so in harmony with someone in my whole life. We are stronger together. My ice and his speed…we are unstoppable. We’ll need that because of what’s coming for all of us.”

Barry nodded and said, “There is something important that we need to talk to all of you about. We know of three other Earths at this point. We left Lin’s Earth because Eobard Thawne killed Joe to distract us. We couldn’t put a stop to his plans if we were trying to keep Lin out of prison. He has been to an Earth other than ours. We have been calling them by numbers. I am from Earth 1. Lin is from Earth 2. Thawne has been to Earth 3. He is more violent and dangerous than the one we all encountered here. He is…insane. He hates Barry Allen with a psychotic fury. He tried to kill me and he definitely killed Barry Allen from Earth 2 and 3. He believes there may be an infinite number of Earths. Thawne intends to find every iteration of himself in order to form a team. He has already allied himself with Thawne from Earth 3. We believe they might try to follow us here.”

The room fell into stunned silence.


End file.
